Knitted pile fabric and method of making same



Sept- 4'1 1962 1. c, HQWES 3,052,111

KNITTED PILE FABRIC AND METHODl OF" MAKING SAME 5: Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 25, 1959 Sept. 4, 1962 1. c. Howes 3,052,111

MMITTED PILE FABRIC AND METHOD oF MAKING SAME.

3' Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 25, 1959 Sept. 4, 1962 l. c. HowEs 3,052,111

KNITTED PILE FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 25, 1959 12108223024: Irvlzag 0.1owe1s, y za, m

uovnegs United States Patent O 3,052,111 KNITI'ED PILE FABRIC AND METHOD F MAKING SAME Irving C. Howes, North Andover, Mass., assigner to Davis & Furber Machine Company, North Andover,

Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 855,312 7 Claims. (Cl. 456-191) This invention relates to a new and novel construction of knitted pile fabric and to the method of making same.

The invention is more particularly concerned with the manufacture of knitted goods made on a circular knitter into which is introduced during the knitting process fibers which are caused to be interlocked. with the knitted fabric so that the resultant fabric has a pile surface on one side.

Knitted pile fabrics are old in the art, but when made according to known processes certain disadv-antages are present Itherein. One of these disadvantages 4is that the method of introducing the pile into the fabric during the knitting process results in the base of the pile being visible on the reverse side. Thus the finished goods when viewed from the back side show not only the yarns of the knitted fabric but also the base of the pile which is interlocked therewith.

According to the process to be disclosed hereinafter, the pile is introduced during the knitting process in such manner that it thereafter becomes interlocked with the knitted yarns in a manner to render the pile base substantially invisible on the back side. Additionally, the length of the resulting pile for a given length of fiber introduced durn'ng knitting is longer :and hence offers better cover on the face of the knitted fabric, but at the same time is interlocked with the fabric in a manner fully as secure as that of the knitted pile fabrics of the prior art.

These and other advantages will become better understood as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which FIG. l shows a front elevation of a group of needles in the hooks of which the pile fibers have just been introduced and prior to the fibers being knitted into the fabric. The last loops of the knitted fabric are `shown behind the fibers.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of three of the needles shown in FIG. 1, illustrating more clearly the initial position of the pile fibers with respect to the last loops of the knitted fabric.

FIG. 3 shows the subsequent disposition of the last loops of the `fabric and the pile fibers as the needles have advanced from the position at which the pile fibers are introduced to be engaged by the cloth shoe and forced downwardly along the shanks of the needles. While the loops and bers are in depressed position, the new yarn is introduced into the needle hooks.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of three of the centrally located needles shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows how continued advance of the needles past the cloth shoe results in the last loops of the fabric and the pile fibers being knitted together with the new yarn to bind in the fibers while forming -a new course in the knitted fabric.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of two of the needles shown in FIG. 5 as the fabric and pile fibers are riding up the needle shanks as permitted by the sloping side of the cloth shoe.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of two of the needles -at the right of FIG. 5 and their resulting combination of knitted yarns and pile fibers.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the resulting knitted fabric and interlocked pile fibers that have just been introduced showing how the pile fibers are secured to the 3,052,ili Patented Sept. 4, 1962 ICC face of the knitted fabric so that the loops `of the pile are virtually invisible on the rear :of the fabric.

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the completed knitted pile fabric taken along one Wale and showing three courses with the pile in interlo'cked position.

FIGS. 10, ll, l2 and 13 show in side elevation the full sequence of operations.

FIG. l0 shows the last loop on the needle prior introduction of the pile.

FIG. l1 is a section on the line 11-11 of FIG. l showing the pile introduced into the hook of the needle.

FIG. l2 is a section on the line 12-12 of FIG. 3 showing the last loop and pile pushed downwardly on the shank of the needle by the shoe with the new thread introduced into the hook.

FIG. 13 is a section on the line 13--13 of FIG. 5 showing the pile and llast loop sliding upwardly over the beard of the needle and about to engage the new thread in the hook of the needle.

The invention may be carried out by either the united needle type machine, as exemplified by the Tompkins knitter disclosed herein, or the independent needle type machine, such as the Wildman. In each of these machines, the needle loop is moved downwardly on the needle prior to introduction of the new thread. It is immaterial whether the needle is moved relative to the loop or the loop relative to the needle so long as the hook is vacated by the needle loop so that the hook is empty when the new yarn is fed into the hook. The invention will ybe explained by reference to a Tompkins machine in which the needles are xed and the needle loops are moved downwardly on the needle Shanks. Furthermore, the invention may be performed on either the bearded or latch type needle. The bearded type is shown, but obviously the latch type could be substituted therefor.

In the conventional knitting process herein disclosed and considered apart from the introduction of the pile, the needles are revolving continuously with the rotating head and on each needle is the last loop of the knitted fabric. The conventional knitting process will be described with respect to a single needle on which is the 4last loop of that particular wale of the knitted fabric. As each needle reaches the cloth shoe which is on the inside yof the needles, the shoe acts `to push the last loop down along the shank of the needle with the stretched knitted fabric extending upwardly along the inner face of the cloth shoe. While the loop on the needle shank is held in this down position by the cloth shoe, the new yarn is introduced into the hook of the needle. Thereafter when the needle has advancced to the other upwardly sloping end of the cloth shoe, the loop on the needle slides upwardly toward the beard of the needle but before reaching the beard the beard comes into engagement with a presser which forces the beard into the eye in the needle shank permitting the rising last loop of the fabric to slide upwardly over the beard. As the needle continues toad- Vance, the upward pull on the last loop exerted by the previously knitted fabric drags the loop olf the upper end of the needle causing it to become interlocked with the new thread that had been inserted into the hook of the needle while the loop was held down by the cloth shoe. In this manner a new loop has been positioned in the hook of the needle to add one more course to the knitted fabric. The needle continues its rotation until it comes back to the cloth shoe, at which time the newly Iadded loop is pressed down in the manner already described to become interlocked in ydue course with the new yarn that is being fed in the needle hook.

In the practice of the present invention, the pile bers are introduced to the needles as the latter are pursuing their circular course and are at a position just ahead of the cloth shoe. The fibers are introduced to the needles to the each needle as it moves by. These bers will be of anr average length according to the material used and the number of bers picked up by each needle will be approximately the same. the amount of pile introduced to each course of the knitted fabric. Y

`Referring to FIG. l, we will consider the process with respect to the needle marked A. This needle, like all the other needles, is aixed to the rotating head of the knitting machines and is continually moving in a circular horizontal path. All of the needles are identical and the behavior of the needle A with respect to the fabric and pile is the same las the behavior of `all of the other needles.

Y The needle A has a shank 2, a hook 4 and a beard 6. The beard 6, during the course of the needle rotation, engagesa presser 8 shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 9 which causes the lower end of the beard to be moved toward the shank 2 with the tip Vof the beard pressed into a cavity 'or eye 10. With the beard in the eye, it becomes possible forA the last needle loop of the fabric to slide upwardly over the beard and thence over the new yarn in the hook t'o form a subsequent needle loop. This knitting procedure is well understood. As previously mentioned, it will be further understood that other types of circular knitting machines may be used, using either the spring beard needle just referred to or the latch needle.

In FIG. 1, the needle loopV 12, which is a part of the previously knitted fabric, represents the last course of the knitted fabric. For clarity in disclosure, the previously knitted fabric, of which needle loop 12 constitutes the last course, is not shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, but three courses are shown in FIG. 9 and two courses are shown in FIGS. 10 to13,. As the needle A with the loop 12 thereon moves past the brush of the carding element, the bers 16 which will subsequently form the pile of the knitted fabric are sweptupwardly into the -hook 4. That is, the bers pass upwardly between the shank 2 and the beard 6 to be caught Vin the hook and pulled from the brush or dolfer of the carding element. In like manner, fibers 16a, 16h, 16e and 16d areapplied automatically to the hooks of the following needles Aa, Ab, Ac and Ad. This situation is disclosed in a perspective view in FIG. 2 and in side elevation inFIG. 11. Y

After leaving the position at which the pile fibers are introduced into the needle hooks, the needles advance toward the cloth shoe 18, which is a xed vertical curved plate on the inside of the needles and on the outside of the'previously knitted fabric. The cloth shoe has a downwardly sloping leading edge 20, the initial portion of whlch is above the tops of the needles. As the'needle A advances toward the sloping edge 20, the last loops of the previously knitted cloth 14 and the pile 16 are engaged by the cloth shoe so that the loop 12 and pile 16 are forced downwardly along the shank of needle A as indicated at the left in FIG. 3. The pile is on top of the needle loop 12 with the ends extending upwardly behind shoe y18 (see FIG. 12). The needle A continues to move in the direction of the arrow reaching in due course the end of the cloth shoe 18 as at the position 21, reaching the upwardly sloping edge 22 of the cloth shoe. 4At this point the loop 12 and pile bers 16 commence to slide upwardly alongV 6 the shank 2 of the needle A under the upward pull of the previously knitted fabric.

1 While the loop 12 is sliding upwardly along the shank 2 of needle A `as permitted by the sloping edge 22 and as shown in FIGS. and 13, the beard 6 of the advancing 7 needle will be engaged on its exterior face by the presser 8 which forces the lower end of the beard into the eye just prior to the .arrival of loop 12 and pile bers 16 at the eye during their upward movement along shank 2.'

In the meanwhile, the new yarn 24 which will form the The result is a general uniformity in subsequent course of loops has been introduced into'the hooks of the needles as indicated in FIGS. 3,5 and 12.

The new yarn 24 is put in position after the loop 12 and pile bers 16 have been forced down along the shank 2 by the cloth shoe sufficiently to clear the beard 6.

With the end of the beard 6 positioned in eye 16 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 13, the loop 12 and the associated pile bers 16 can slide upwardly over the beard, all `as indicated at the needle positions Ae,.Af, Ag and Ah in FIG. 5, and nally the loop 12 and the fibers 16 slide olf the needle and over the new yarn 24 to create a subsequent needle loop 26 from the new yarn 24, which loop 26 constitutes one of the loops of the next subsequent course.

As can be plainly seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lastneedle loop 12 is so related to the new needle loop 26 that the pile bers 16 are bound in to lie on the upper side of needle loop 12 and under the head portions 28 and 30 of adjacent sinker loops 29 and 31.

that renders them substantiallyinvisible from the rear.

The manner in which the pile bers 16 are ,held by the knitted fabric is further illustrated in FIG. 9. Here the subsequent needle loop 26`is shown in the hook "4 of nee-.f dle A. The last needle loop 12 is interlocked with new' loop 26 and the pile bers 16 reside on the face sideof loop 12 and are held in position by the overlying parts 28' and 30 of the'newly formed adjacent sinker loops.

It will be understood that the spacing of the pileY bers as shown in the figures is greatly exaggerated for the purpose of illustration `and clarity. Actually the succession of the pile bers in both the wales and courses isso close together that the pile spreads out to completely conceal the underlying knitted fabric. y v

`In summary, it may be said that the invention resides in the afore'descnibed method and the pile fabric producedA thereby, which method comprises introducing the pile bers into the hooks of the needles while .the last needle lloop of the previous course is still in position in the hook.

Then the last loop -and the pile bers 1are forced down along the needle shank by the cloth shoe with the pile are used), the last loop and the bers that are on top thereof will slide off the needle and over thei new yarn to form the next subsequent needleV loop with the pilebers bound in on the upper face of the knitted fabric between the last needle loop and the head portions of,

the newly formed adjacent sinker loops.

' It is my intention to co-ver all changes and modications of the example ofy the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute defpartures from Y the spirit and scope of they invention. I claim:

1. The method of introducing pile bers into a knitted fabric comprising the steps of sweeping pile bers up-4 wardly into the hook of a knitting needle on which is the last needle loop of the previously knitted fabric, forcing' said last needle loop and said bers downwardly on the` shank of the needle -to free saidhook, positioning al new thread in the hook of said needle and then fdrawing said needle loop and bers upwardly on the .said shank and oif the needle to produce a next needle loop and adjacentsinker loops from said new thread, said bers being in-A terlocked between the said last needle -loop and the head portions of the newly formed adjacent sinker loops.

2. The method of introducing pile bers into a knitted fabricl comprising nthe steps -of-sweeping pilebers upwardly into the hook of a *knitting needle on which is the last needle loop of the previously knitted fabricforcing said last needle loop and said bers Adownwardly on the shank of the needle to free said hook, positioning a new Y In other words, thej pilerbers 16 are locked intothe knitted fabric byjthe.v sinker loops only on the face of the cloth in a mannerthread in the hook of said needle and then drawing said needle loop and fibers upwardly on the said shank and off the needle to produce `a next needle loop and adjacent sinker loops from said new thread, said fibers being secured to the face of the knitted fabric solely by adjacent portions of the head portions of the newly formed adjacent sinker loops.

3. A knitted pile fabric comprising a conventionally circularly knitted foundation having courses, needles Wales and sinker wales and groups of individual pile forming fibers which are held to the face of the fabric solely by those parts of each course that constitute the sinker loops, each sinker loop securing two adjacent groups of fibers to the fabric face, the mid-portions of said fibers parallelin-g the needle loop of the previous course with each end of each said group of fibers passing first over and then under one of said sinker loops.

4. A knitted pile fabric comprising a succession of courses with needle loops and sinker loops forming needle wales and sinker wales and groups of individual fibers in U-shaped formation forming pile on that face of the fabric showing the sinker loops, each said group of fibers having a middle portion and two free end portions, each said group of fibers being held to said fabric solely by the yarn of a single course, each said group of fibers having its middle portion lying next to and substantially paralleling one of the needle loops and having the adjacent part of the said end portions passing first over land then under the adjacent portions of the heads of adjacent sinker loops formed by the yarn of the next following course, the said free end portions of each group of fibers extending upwardly from that side of the said sinker loop that faces the next preceding needle loop.

5. A knitted pile fabric comprising `a succession of courses with needle loops and sinker loops forming needle wales and sinker wales and groups of individual fibers in U-shaped formation forming pile on that face of the fabric showing the sinker loops, each said group of fibers having its middle portion substantially paralleling the head of a needle loop with the ends of said group of fibers extending under the adjacent portions of the heads of adjacent sinker loops formed by the next following course, the upwardly extending free ends of each said group of fibers being between the heads of the sinker loops of the said next following course and `the heads of the needle loopsformed by the preceding course.

6. A knitted pile fabnic comprising a succession of courses, with needle loops and sinker loops forming needle Wales and sinker wales and groups of individual fibers in U-shaped formation forming pile on one face of the fabric, each said group of bers being held to said fabric solely by the yarn of a single course, each group of fibers having their middle portions lying between the upper side of one of said needle loops and passing under adjacent portions of the heads of adjacent sinker loops formed by the yarn of a single course only, the free ends of said pile being on that face of the fabric on which are the sinker loops and extending upwardly from `a position between the said sinker loops and `the head of the needle loop of the second course preceding the said sinker loops.

7. A knitted pile fabric comprising a succession of courses, with needle loops and sinker loops forming needle wales and sinker wales and groups of individual fibers in U-shaped form-ation forming pile on one face of the fabric, each said group of fibers being held to said fabric solely by the yarn of a single course, each group of fibers having their middle portions lying generally parallel to one of said needle loops of one course and with each of the sides of said U-shaped formation passing rst over and then under the adjacent portions only of the heads of Iadjacent sinker 'loops of the next course, the free ends of said pile being on that face of the fabric on which are the sinker loops.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,179,467 Stafford et al Apr. 18, 1916 2,017,073 Moore Oct. 15, 1935 2,183,862 Davis Dec. 19, 1939 2,207,397 Fleisher July 9, 1940 

